In the clearest indicator yet that Chavez's health problems could spell an end to his tumultuous years at the helm of the OPEC nation, he said supporters should vote for Vice-President Nicolas Maduro if a new election had to be held.

His departure would trigger an election and mark the end of an era for the Latin American left, depriving them of one of their most acerbic voices.

A clutch of nations in the region, from Cuba and Nicaragua to Bolivia and Ecuador, depend on Chavez's oil-fuelled generosity to bolster their fragile economies.

An unruly transition from Chavez's highly centralized rule could also raise the specter of political instability in Venezuela, which holds the world's largest crude oil reserves.

The president's allies lack the charisma that has made him one of the world's most recognizable leaders  and most fierce critics of Washington  and may struggle to control his unwieldy coalition of military leaders and leftist activists.

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